Military pay dates, October 2026
DFAS's 2026 active-duty table, read October 10, 2026. Bank windows from each institution's own page, read October 28, 2026.
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Thursday, October 1
Pay for the second half of September.
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Thursday, October 15
Pay for the first half of October.
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Friday, October 30
Pay for the second half of October, the deposit that would otherwise land on the 1st of next month; moved up from the 1st of next month because that date is a weekend or federal holiday.
In October 2026 the 1st is a Thursday and the 15th is a Thursday. Federal holiday this month: Columbus Day (Monday the 12th), which banks skip when they count business days. Thursday the 1st comes 12 business days after the previous payday; Thursday the 15th comes 9 business days after the previous payday; Friday the 30th comes 11 business days after the previous payday.
Earliest each deposit could post, by institution
The five with published calendars print their own dates on their pages (linked). The rest state a window for eligible deposits; "earliest" counts that window back from the DFAS date, skipping weekends and federal holidays, and is a best case, not a promise.
| Institution | DFAS October 1 | DFAS October 15 | DFAS October 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Federal | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| USAA | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| PenFed | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Armed Forces Bank | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Service Credit Union | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Ally Bank (up to 2 business days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Andrews FCU (up to a day early) | Wednesday, September 30 | Wednesday, October 14 | Thursday, October 29 |
| Capital One (up to 2 days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Chase (up to two business days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Chime (up to 2 days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Current (up to 2 days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Hanscom FCU (up to two days) | Tuesday, September 29 | Tuesday, October 13 | Wednesday, October 28 |
| Langley FCU (up to 3 days) | Monday, September 28 | Friday, October 9 | Tuesday, October 27 |
Early posting depends on when DFAS sends the file, so set autopay to the DFAS date. September | November | all of 2026 and every bank's policy
Frequently asked questions
When does the military get paid in October 2026?
Thursday, October 1 (pay for the second half of September); Thursday, October 15 (pay for the first half of October); Friday, October 30 (pay for the second half of October, the deposit that would otherwise land on the 1st of next month, moved up from the 1st of next month because that date is a weekend or federal holiday).
Why does October 2026 have 3 paydays?
The 1st and the 15th, each moved to the prior business day where needed.
Tools for this topic
- Deployment pay calculator Special pays plus the tax a combat-zone month removes.
- SDP calculator What the deployed 10% program pays.
- Savings calculator What the 6% cap saves you per month and per year.
Heads up: SCRA Saver publishes general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws change and every situation differs. Confirm details with your installation legal assistance office (free for service members) or a licensed professional.